“The unusual magnetic fields of the planets Uranus and Neptune represent important observables for constraining and developing deep interior models. Models suggests that the unusual non-dipolar and non-axial magnetic fields of these planets originate from a thin convective and conducting shell of material around a stably stratified fluid core. Here, we present an experimental and computational study of the physical properties of a fluid representative of the interior of Uranus and Neptune. Our electrical conductivity results confirm that the core cannot be well mixed if it is to generate non-axisymmetric magnetic fields. The molecular dynamics simulations highlight the importance of chemistry on the properties of
this complex mixture, including the formation of large clusters of carbon and nitrogen and a possible mechanism for a compositional gradient, which may lead to a stably stratified core.”

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